Good Thinking

Good Day To You,

You and I make choices and decisions based on a couple of existing factors. One is our internal “grid” which is our values, convictions and experiences. The other factor is from our learned behavior. Your learned behavior comes from both the decisions made by others that have affected you as well the choices you have made that have left a deep impression because of the pain or happiness they inflicted. These often negativethoughts and experiences cause a fear-based response and are wrong-hearted and need adjusting. Many of these impressions need to be thrown out, replaced with his love and acceptance. So how do you change your learned behavior or grid? How do you rewrite your story. New encounters give you the opportunity to replace these old tapes with a renewed mind through the insightful work of Holy Spirit. Here are a couple of good solid principles that will help you change, replace those old tapes and behaviors with new clean courage and outcomes. 

When you find yourself in need of a wise decision to be made, don’t lean back on old thinking. Ask yourself these four questions. (Questions reboot the brain and start a fresh remapping process, which is exactly what good counselors do. They ask good self discovery questions). We will cover two questions this week. 1. Am I being honest - really?  Be brutally honest and ask yourself to cut through the excuses or emotional responses. Ask yourself, “What’s the upside and what’s the downside?” For there is always a downside. Check it, and then ask yourself if you could live with it? By asking this question first you remove the learned behavior bent and allow for fresh insight and truth. Don’t avoid the decision, just be really honest.  2. What story do I want to tell?  How does this decision affect your desired future both eternally and personally? Does this move you in the direction of your life’s goal? Does this choice please God and will not short-change or uncover your spouse, kids, etc. Will you have to someday apologize or be ashamed of with this decision? Does this draw you closer to Jesus and more like him or father away? By starting with these two questions you can remap your learned behavior to establish good and strong healthy thinking and outcomes. 

Q: What would be one of your learned behaviors? 

Q: What story do you want told to your children and grandchildren about your life? ​